Frequently asked questions
Greenhouse benefits
What is the total greenhouse benefit of the phase-out?
It is expected that phasing-out inefficient incandescent light bulbs will reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions by 28 million tonnes between 2008 and 2020. This is equivalent to permanently decommissioning a small coal-fired power station or taking more than 500,000 cars off the road permanently.
How much energy does it take to produce a CFL compared to a traditional incandescent light bulb?
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are technically more complex systems and are more energy intensive to produce, however a recent life cycle analysis which compared a CFL and an equivalent incandescent bulb concluded that the energy used to manufacture and transport the bulbs was only about 2 per cent of the energy used during their lives. It also considered other environmental impacts but concluded that the impact due to energy use dominated all other impacts - compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) being by far the more energy efficient alternative.
Is more mercury released into the environment through the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) than incandescent light bulbs?
No, less mercury is released into the environment from the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) than incandescent light bulbs even though compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) contain a small amount of mercury. The new minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) includes a maximum mercury level of 5mg per lamp. This is because burning coal to produce electricity releases mercury. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use only about 20 per cent of the electricity which incandescent bulbs use to produce the same amount of light. Overall approximately 20 per cent of the coal needs to be burnt to produce the same amount of light, resulting in an overall reduction in mercury emissions of about 80 per cent.
Fact sheet
All fluorescent lamps, including compact fluorescent lamps, contain very small amounts of elemental mercury, which is essential for the operation of these types of lamps. More information about this topic is available in our fact sheet.
Energy saving tips
More information about energy efficient lighting:
- Living greener
- Lighting - Your Home Design Guide
- Public lighting - guide for local government
- Energy Efficiency Starter Kit - Efficient lighting manual